Automatic peed toothpick holder



Feb. 23 1926. 1,574,069

- G. DEKOFF AUTOMATIC FEED TOOTHPICK HOLDER Filed April 18, 1925 Patented Feb. 23, 1926.

UNITE GEORGE DEKOFF, OF CHICAGO. ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC FEED TOO'IHPIGK HOLDER.

Application filed April 18, 1925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE Dnnorr, a citizen of Russia (who has made application for naturalization as a citizen of the United States), residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Feed Toothpick Holders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to toothpick holders or dispense-rs adapted for use on the table or counter, and has reference more particularly to that type of holder which is provided with means'for automatically advancing the toothpicks to an opening in the container from which they are readily withdrawn by the thumb and finger.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an improved and sanitary holder or dispenser of the type mentioned-of simple and inexpensive construction which may be easily loaded, which will keep the tooth picks clean, and from which the toothpieks may be easily abstracted one or two at a of the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a tool in the. nature of a handle employed in retracting the follower when the holder is to be loaded.

- Referring to the drawings, 10 designates an upright cylinder, the lower end of which is fitted into a heavy solid circular base 11;

this latter preferably equipped on its under side with a felt ring pad 12 to prevent possible scratching or other marring of the table. 'Coa-Xially disposed within the cylinder 10 is a fixed shaft or post 13 formed with a reduced threaded lower end portion 14- that extends through the base 11 and receivesva fastening nut 15. The shaft 13 is Serial No. 24,035.

also formed with an upper reduced threaded end portion 16 that extends through a countersunk central portion 1"? of a removable cap or cover 18; this latter resting at its lower edge on the upper end of the cylinder 10 and preferably formed with an outward- 1y oifset depending flange 19 overlapping the upper end of the cylinder 10. A ball nut 20 threading onto the upper end 16 of the shaft securely fastens the cover on the cylindrical body of the container.

In one side of the circular chamber of the cup 10 is a post 21 that rests on the bottom wall 10 of the cup and is attached thereto by a screw 22 passed upwardly through the base 11 and cup bottom 10. This post 21, the crosssectional form of which appears in Fig. 5, is formed on its lower end with a foot 23 apertured for the passage of the shaft 13 therethrough. On its upper end it is formed with an inwardly extending arm 24 likewise apertured for the passage of the shaft 13. The screw 22, of course, locks the post 21 against turning around the shaft 13. The post 21 is formed with a flat abutment face 21 (Fig. 5), against which the toothpicks are crowded by the spring-pressed follower hereinafter described. The foot 23 is formed with an inclined upper surface 23 clearly shown in Fig. 3, that constitutes a cam to elevate the advance portion of the toothpicks under the thrust of the follower. On the upper end portion 16 of the shaft 13 is a spacing washer 25 between the top surface of the arm 24 and the under side of the cover.

Mounted to turn around the shaft 13 by a pair of spaced hinge lugs 26 and 27 is a follower 28 of the same height as the abutment post 21. A coil spring 29 encircling the shaft 13 between the upper and lower hinge lugs 26 and 27 of the follower is anchored at one end to the back of the fixed post 21 and at its other end to the back of the follower 28, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, so that the torsion of the spring urges the follower toward the abutment face 21 of the post 21. In the top of the follower is a hole 30 adapted to be engaged by the lower end portion 31 of a suitably bent removable handle 31. by means of which latter, when the cap or cover 18 has been removed, the follower may be readily swung backwardly by the pull of the finger on the handle 31 to permit the device to be loaded with the toothpicks. In the upper end of the post 21 is preferably formed a socket 32, into which the upper finger-engaged portion of the handle may be entered, with the remaining portion of the handle overhangingthe upper end and rear side ofthe post 21 as indicated by dotted lines in- Fig. 2, This provides a convenient holder or receptacle for the follower handle" within the device itself to lessen the liklihood of the handle becoming lost or mislaid and, of. course forms no essential part or feature of the device.-

In the topof the cover 18 is formed a generally sectorshaped radial delivery open- -ing'33 of a length. substantially equal to the width of the match-holdingchamber; and. at the forward edge of said opening the'metal of'the cover 18is swaged downwardly, as shown at 34, bringing thesaid edge substantially into the horizontalplane of the upper end of the. cup-shaped body 10.

To load the holder with matches, the ball nut'20 is firstwvithdrawn and. the cover 18' removed. The handle 31 is then applied to the follower and the latter retracted by a backward .pull on the handle, as indicated in- Fig. The follower may be drawn back through something morethan a half circle, ifzdesirechi and still leave ample room be tween the back of the=followerand the backof the abutment post for" the subsequent disposal'of the handle within the loaded holder. The arcuate chamber between the frontface 'of'the follower and theabutment face 21' end ofthe bunch ride: up the cam 23', thus causing their upper ends to project. up

wardily through the opening 83 inthe cover.- The downwardly swaged wall 34 at'the ad-- vanceiedge' of the opening facilitates access by the thumb or'finger to the advance row of toothpicks, which may readily be withdrawn, whereuponthe toothpicksdirectly in rear thereof-are gradually advanced by thefollowerinto the front row, until all or substantially-all of the toothpicks have been withdrawn.

From. the foregoing it will-be seen that my invention provides a convenient neat and sanitary toothpick holder wherein the toothpicksare for the most part entirely protected from dust and dirt, and may be conveniently withdrawn, one or two at a time, as-req-uired foruse. lVhen employed oirthe counters of restaurants, cafeterias and the like, the device manifestly disc0ur agesthe wasteful propensities of some pa trons to grab and carry off many more t0oth picks than they require.

While I have herein shown and described one practical physical embodiment of the principle of my invention, it is manifest that many changes may be resorted to in the details of structure and arrangement without going, outside the principle of the invention or sacrificing any of the benefits and advantages thereof. Hence, I reserve all such va riations and modifications as fall within the spirit and purview of the appended claims.

I claim 1. In an automatic feed toothpick. dispenser, the combination. of around upright cup-shaped container havinga cover formed with a delivery opening between the center. and periphery thereof, a central fixed shaft in said container, a fixed post formed with an abutment face underlying said opening,- afixed cam at the lower end of said :abutment face, a follower formed with. hinge lugs mounted on said shaft, and atorsion: spring encircling said shaft and anchored at one end to said post and atvits other end to said follower.

2; In an automatic feed toothpick dispenser, the combination of'a round uprightv cup-shaped container, a cover therefor formed with a central hole and a radial de--. livery opening, a central shaft mounted in the bottom of said container andhavinga threaded upper end projecting. through the hole of said cover,a nut on the upper end of said shaft to lock said cover in place, a fixed post formed with an abutment face underlying said delivery opening, a fixed cam= at the lower end of-said abutment face, a follower formed with upper and lower hinge lugs mounted on said shaft, and a torsion spring encircling said shaft between said lugs and anchored at one end to said post and at its other end to said follower.

3. In an automatic feed toothpick dispenser, the combination of an upright cupshaped container having a removable cover formed with a delivery opening, a centralfixed shaft in said container, a fixed member formed with an abutment face disposed between said shaft and. the circumferential wall of said container and underlyingsaid opening, a fixed cam at the lowerend of said; abutment face, a spring-pressedfollower hinged on said shaft and formed with a hole in its upper end, and a removable handle member for retracting said follower formed f with a portion adapted to fit intosaid: hole \Vflll of said container and underlying said pressed follower hinged on said shaft and formed With a hole in its upper end, and a removable bent handle member formed with one straight end portion adapted to fit into said hole in the follower for retracting the latter and With another straight end por- 10 tion adapted, when the handle is idle, to be housed in the recess in said post.

GEORGE DEKOFF. 

